


Chased by the Devil

by Tabithian



Series: Fortunes Fade [8]
Category: Batman (Comics), DCU, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-29
Updated: 2015-08-29
Packaged: 2018-04-17 19:08:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4678040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tabithian/pseuds/Tabithian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tim knows he's let things go on too long when he walks into one of the warehouses his people operate out of and sees Bruce sitting at the table they use to plan out their operations.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chased by the Devil

**Author's Note:**

> Side story follow-up to No Home and a Bag of Bones.
> 
> (This was going to be a little crackish, ~bloopery thing but it was like, no, let's do this instead, because reasons.)

Tim knows he's let things go on too long when he walks into one of the warehouses his people operate out of and sees Bruce sitting at the table they use to plan out their operations.

Tim stops, _stares_.

Bruce looks back, eyes narrowing slightly like he can tell Tim's mind has gone a certain kind of blank as a haze settles over everything.

And Bruce.

Bruce looks like this is just all part of a normal day for him, nothing to get worked up about, everything's _fine_.

He's handcuffed, hands behind his back, but. It's Bruce, that doesn't mean anything.

“Brian,” Tim says, turns his head to look at his right hand man. “Why is Batman here?”

Brian smiles, like Batman being here is a good thing.

(It's not.)

“Worm caught him poking around the waterfront place,” he says. “Brought him here.”

Tim.

He should have known, is the thing. Felt everything getting away from him the moment he opened his mouth all those weeks ago. Intending to stop his people from killing Robin and Nightwing when they tried to stop Tim's people. Hoped to keep them alive a little bit longer by letting his guys know in no uncertain terms that the only one allowed to kill them was Tim, and now.

Now he's got his people and a good portion of Gotham's criminal underworld going out of their way to catch one of the Bats to give to him as some kind of present, or bribe, more like.

“And where is Worm now?”

The smile on Brian's face vanishes, and he shoots Bruce a disapproving look. “The Bat broke his arm, Chunk and Pete took him to Doc Leslie.”

Tim feels the corner of his mouth curve at the way Bruce twitches at that.

“They're following the rules?”

Brian nods, takes a little step back at the subtle reminder. “Yeah, yeah, Boss. Manners and everything.”

Tim snorts, looks away from Bruce. 

Studies Brian.

And this is the thing Tim likes about Brian. He lifts his chin, _looks back_.

“We're clearing out. Go tell the others.” 

There's not much here they can't do without, a necessity when it comes to dealing with Bruce and the others. The important equipment stays in the vans, mobile command posts. Places like this warehouse are more to regroup, plan for whatever operation is in mind that day. Let Tim's people rest, spread out a little.

Brian's eyes dart to Bruce for a second, uneasy at leaving Tim alone with him, which is just another reason Tim likes him.

“Boss?”

“Go,” Tim says, makes it something just shy of an order.

He can feel Bruce watching them, him, taking all this in and adding it to the file he has on Red Hood, but it doesn't matter.

Tim waits until Brian's gone before he turns back to Bruce.

The smart thing to do would be to knock Bruce out, walk out and leave him here, never look back.

But Tim.

“You broke his arm?”

Bruce tilts his head, just the slightest bit. 

“Hairline fracture.”

Tim pulls a chair up to the table, and takes a seat. 

Watches Bruce watching him.

“You wanted to talk?”

Because this, Bruce letting Worm bring him in like this, is no accident. No little spot of luck, not for someone like Worm. 

Loyal, but not the brightest. 

“You'd do better to work on your own.”

Tim leans in, just the slightest bit. “Like you do? But, oh, wait, no. You have your birds, don't you.”

It's a hit, Pyrrhic victory, with the way Bruce's face goes absolutely still and the way Tim's throat goes tight.

It's a warning, a reminder to them both, that things _happen_.

If Bruce takes it to mean Red Hood and his people could be one of those things, then so be it. 

Gotham's an unforgiving city, and sometimes it seems like Bruce and the others haven't learned a damn thing.

“I hope you got a good look at all this,” Tim says, gestures around them. “You know we won't be coming back here.”

Tim knows things can't go on like this forever, knows Bruce or one of the others will figure it out, discover who Red Hood is, and who he isn't anymore.

It's not something he looks forward to, truth be told. Would rather avoid it altogether, but it's a little too late to be thinking things like that, isn't it.

Tim looks at Bruce, wonders why he hasn't done anything. Knows the handcuffs don't even come close to constituting an obstacle for him. 

Bruce looks up when the door opens, and Brian's hesitant, “Boss?”

“Tell Robin and Nightwing I said hello,” Tim says as he rises to his feet. “I'm sure I'll be seeing them again soon.”

He expects Bruce to do something, try to stop him, but nothing ever comes.

Wonders what it was Bruce was hoping to learn from this, and what, if anything, Tim gave him without realizing. (Too much, Tim knows, always too much when it comes to Bruce.)


End file.
